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JOHN MELLING, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK; Letters Patent 1V0. 66,512, datedJuly 9,1867,

IMPROVED PROCESS FOR PREPARING WOOD FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF LABELS, TAGS,drc.

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TO' ALL WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:

Be it known that I, JOHN MELLING, of Rochester, in the county of Monroe,and State of New York, late of Bolton, Lancashire, England, haveinvented a new and useful Article or Substance to be used in theMenufacture of Government Stamps, Label-Tags, Business Cards, andvarious other articles in common use; and I do hereby declare that thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact dcscriptionthereof.

The nature of this invention consists in providing a very cheapsubstitute for paper as used for Government stamps, labels, ordirecting-tags, and for numerous other purposes, the said substitutealso possessing advantage of far greater durability, and when used forinternal or other revenue stamps the impossibility of being transferrcdfrom one package, box, or paper to another after having been'o'nceapplied or cancelled, without immediate or sure detection,

To enable others to make and use my invention, I will describe theprocess by which itis produced.

I'take cedar or other suitable wood and cut into flakes or shavings ofthe desired thickness and size. I

then boil in a. solution of rye flour, glue, and alum in about thefollowing proportions, viz, to two and a half pounds of rye flour useone gallon of water, one-fourth pound of white glue, and one-half ounceof alum. The strips or pieces of cedrus or cedar are boiled in thisabout one-half hour, (more or less,) after which they are thoroughlydried, when they are ready for use and may be printed or written upon asreadily as paper, pasteboard, &c. It has been found that wood thusprepared is peculiarly and especially applicable for custom-house andother similar seals or-clocks, because, if out where they cross a jointin the package the ends immediately shrink away from each other andcannot possibly lee-restored or rejoined; neither can they be removedwithout effecting their entire destructiominot even when applied withordinary flour-paste or common mucilage, because the substance itself,whcn so-tne ted, i's rendered impervious to water or dampness, andtherefore could not be soaked loose. The stamps maybe-1 applied withglue, paste, or any mucilaginous substance, after which I displace theair from between the stamp and the article as fully as may be bypressing a steel or other flexible handtool or plate over the stamp.

This substance or prepared wood may be used to great advantage for thesweat-leathers and linings of hats; for.

insoles and linings to boots and shoes, book-covers, borrlerings forpapered walls, and for a great variety of other purposes. A very goodsubstitute for morocco, both as regards appearance and quality, may bemade of this substance, by coloring, graining, &c. Clock-faces or dialsmay be made of it by cutting two circles and uniting them.

together with the grain of the woody fibre in each lamina crossing, orat right angles with those of the other, and otherwise treated as forother purposes. Instead of treating the cedar by boiling, as described,it might be desirable to coat it with the solution mentioned, which maybe done by spreading it over the surface with a brush and then passing asort of spring-pallet over the surface of the strips of cedar underpressure, or they may be passed between pressure-rollers to expel theair from under and glaze the material, afterwhich it should be dried, asbefore shown. i V I i i What I claim as my invention, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. The treatment'of cedar or other suitable wood with the solution,substantially in the manner and for the purposes herein shown anddescribed.

2. The proportions of the ingredients forming the solution for thetreatment of the above-mentioned substance, substantially as set forth.

JOHN MELLING.

Witnesses:

ll M. S. Loueunonouen. A. H. BILLINGS.

